Congrats on your first sale! My turntable, which is by Wilton, is plastic (but doesn’t feel cheap and is quite sturdy; I think it cost ~$30) and has a locking brake, which is indispensable for me. I got it either at my local Jo-Ann, or Michael’s (chain craft retailers, if you’re not familiar. I don’t remember which one I went to) almost 7 years ago. Wilton no longer makes the one I have, but they do have other turntables that lock in place, like this one. Of course, there are other brands that make locking turntables, although I think most if not all of them are plastic, if that makes a difference. (I have seen one metal turntable with a brake, from Sugarworks, but it’s an eye-watering $95. 😳 No, it’s made from aluminum and stainless steel, not gold.)
Do you need to have a turntable with a locking brake? Not necessarily; many people are fine just holding the table in place, for example. Is it great to have? Absolutely. With hands as unsteady as mine, I need both of them at all times. Whether or not that’s a feature you need is totally up to you.
I also recently bought a large cake decorating tip, which I’ve wanted for years and can’t wait to try out. 😄 Wilton’s is their Tip 789, but of course there are other brands. This tip helps ice a cake quicker and more smoothly, without the need for a crumb coat; this video demonstrates how to use it. (That link is to the video as part of Wilton’s Buttercream Decorating playlist, which might give you some inspiration.)
A lot of people here talk about their difficulties getting the sides smooth, which I can totally understand; I think everyone struggles with that initially, myself included. I now know a few ways to smooth the sides:
An icing smoother, which you can find wherever you can buy the cake turntable. They’re super cheap, around $10 or less. (If you have a bench scraper — and if you don’t, why not? 😉 — that’ll work, too.)
Acetate sheets, which you can get at an office supply store. Just bend the sides a little and drag the sheet up the cake — and presto, smooth frosting! (This is especially handy if your cake is oddly shaped or taller than your offset spatula or smoother.)
My favorite method, since I don’t have to get out another tool and it’s fun. 😁 Hold your offset spatula flush against the side of the cake, then spin the turntable. The spatula will smooth the icing and scrape off any excess. (This is demonstrated in the icing tip video.) Obviously this works best on round cakes, but it might work on other shapes (I haven’t tried that yet) if you start and stop the table as needed. Also, dipping the spatula in warm (not hot) water can help, as it will slightly melt the icing, which will help smooth it out even more.
That’s about all I can think of; of course, if I can answer any additional questions, just lmk. 😊 I’m no expert, but I have taken two of the Wilton decorating courses (I never got around to the fondant course) and of course have my own experience. I’m also pretty good at hunting down the expert. 🙂